Mammoth Hot Springs - Lower Terraces

Liberty Cap, a 37 foot hot spring cone, marks the northern portion of the Mammoth Hot Springs. Estimated to be about 2500 years old and now dormant, Liberty Cap was created by a hot spring that was active and in one place for a long time. Its internal pressure was sufficient to raise the water to a great height, allowing mineral deposits to build continuously. Liberty Cap was named in 1871 by the Hayden Survey party because of its marked resemblance to the peaked caps worn during the French Revolution.